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ERIC Number: EJ1464115
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Apr
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0162-3257
EISSN: EISSN-1573-3432
Available Date: 2024-03-12
The Social Validity of Behavioral Interventions: Seeking Input from Autistic Adults
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, v55 n4 p1172-1186 2025
Many in the autistic community have expressed concerns regarding the use of behavioral interventions with autistic children, suggesting that these interventions may not be socially valid. Though behavioral interventions have evolved to be more naturalistic and child-centered, little structured research has been done to explicitly seek autistic perspectives on the acceptability of specific components of behavioral interventions. Autistic adults (N = 235) were recruited online to take the Autism Intervention Attitudes Scale (AIAS), a questionnaire designed to gather feedback on common intervention goals and practices. Results indicate that participants find goals and practices that highlight quality of life, safety, and autistic interactions acceptable, while those that focus on normalization based on neurotypical standards are not. An exploratory graph analysis revealed three communities of goals ("uncontroversial goals", "controversial goals", and "social goals"). Comparison between naturalistic and structured intervention components additionally showed that autistic participants favored naturalistic strategies. These findings are in line with known criticisms of behavioral intervention from autistic adults, but also provide more information on the specific ways in which behavioral interventions can be reformed. This information can guide professionals in the development of appropriate goals and decisions around intervention planning.
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1University of California, Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, Santa Barbara, USA; 2Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Medical Scientist Training Program, Nashville, USA; 3Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Nashville, USA; 4Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Nashville, USA; 5Vanderbilt University, Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Nashville, USA; 6Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Nashville, USA; 7University of California, Davis, Department of Psychology, Davis, USA; 8University of California, Davis, Center for Mind and Brain, Davis, USA; 9La Trobe University, Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre (OTARC), School of Psychology and Public Health, Bundoora, Australia